How much fuel do you keep in your tank?

[Duffyjr]

By the time my Lucerne tells me I'm low on fuel it's below 1/8 which is out of my comfort zone. When it gets to 1/4 seems to be a good time. Besides I always heard it wasn't a good idea to run the gas tank to low but that may be a myth.

 

[tiger862]

Fill mine twice a month which averages 1/2 to 3/4 a tank. I've learned with money tight and everyone getting older never know when we have to make a trip.


2018 Grand Caravan
4700 miles

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by earlyre
my dad always drilled it onto my head when i was a young driver, to always fill up at a half tank, esp in the winter. " that way you'll never run out, just in case you get stranded some where"
he was a scout, and took the "be prepared" to heart.
to this day, he keeps at least a month's supply of food on hand. and at least a 3 day supply of water, in case the power goes out, and we can't pump from the well.

that being said, on a summer road trip I'll run until the light comes on. dad fills at a 1/4 on the same trip.


My Dad always told me-"You are never lost with a full tank of fuel"

 

[GrtArtiste]

My goal is to let it run until just under 1/4 tank especially if the price is attractive or if I have fuel points to use, but during the winter I rarely let it go below 1/2.

 

[Traction]

It's all about common sense. All I know is on the plus side, my cars are faster, and more fuel efficient with less fuel weight. So I simply buy it when I know I need to, because it totally sucks to run out.

 

[PeterPolyol]

Got an older car parked with a metal tank which I keep at 1/4 tank or less. Don't want to encourage condensation around the seams

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by earlyre
my dad always drilled it onto my head when i was a young driver, to always fill up at a half tank, esp in the winter. " that way you'll never run out, just in case you get stranded some where"
he was a scout, and took the "be prepared" to heart.
to this day, he keeps at least a month's supply of food on hand. and at least a 3 day supply of water, in case the power goes out, and we can't pump from the well.

that being said, on a summer road trip I'll run until the light comes on. dad fills at a 1/4 on the same trip.


My Dad always told me-"You are never lost with a full tank of fuel"

Some people try to make sure they're least prepared as possible for anything. It's fun to watch the hurricane evac folks. Storm heading your way for a week. The day of evac their gas light is on and stations are out. Always someone else's fault.

 

[xxch4osxx]

I never go lower than half a tank. I always fill from there.

 

[Silver]

Geez I don't know why you'd fill before close to empty unless you had some sort of mechanical problem. Or maybe hypermiling then I guess you just drive around with 2 gallons.

 

[ndfergy]

No lower than a 1/4 tank in winter. Outside of that, when convenient.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
Typically I will let it get down to 1/4 at the lowest. If I'm running Techron through I will run it until the fuel light comes on. More fuel in the tank means more cooling for the fuel pump so I don't like to let it get too low very often.


The fuel pump is cooled by fuel going through the pump, not the fuel it's submerged in. So as long as you don't run it dry, it'll stay cool enough.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted by Silver
Geez I don't know why you'd fill before close to empty unless you had some sort of mechanical problem. Or maybe hypermiling then I guess you just drive around with 2 gallons.

In some sort of emergency I'd rather concern myself with the emergency rather than where to fill up my empty tank.

 

[EA82]

I fill up all the way when it gets 1/4 tank or lower.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I stack up Kroger fuel points, trade-off driving our 2 vehicles, and then fill-up both at once every couple of weeks with the discount. They're usually both down to around 1/4-3/8 tank.

 

[supton]

On average I only have about half a tank, probably a gallon or so above.

I routinely run mine to 1/8th, no worries about the light turning on. I will look and see if I will need to fill up at an inconvenient time (as in a time I don't feel like), and I will fill up at say quarter.

My truck sits a lot so it tends to get filled at a quarter. Personally, between E10 and super sealed fuel systems, I don't worry about condensation any more. If worried, run as low as possible then fill up.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

I try to keep at least a half tank. I don't always, but it's good practice.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I fill-up with a quarter tank at-least.

More important than the amount when entering the gas station, is never gas-up when a fuel tanker is present and NEVER fill-up with the engine running and the gas gauge reading quarter-tank or less.

Some of us like to return to the comforts of our vehicle during a long fill-up, to seek shelter from the bitter cold or wetness. I have in the past noticed my engine begin to stumble and miss, when filling-up with the engine running and tank low on fuel. Today's gas stations pump gas at a large, high rate, needing only a couple minutes to fill-up. All that pressure of new gas entering our tanks stirs-up the bottom of our gas tanks, sending dirt and maybe even rust particles, flying around everywhere.

 

[bubbatime]

I fill my tank up every day at the end of the day. If I drive 20-200 miles, doesn't matter, still gets filled up at the end of the day. I have a "prepper" mind set, so always try to be prepared. And it SUCKS when you need gas but the stations have ran out and none is available, which happens every year, several times a year, here in hurricane alley. I had to drive from GA to SW Florida last year during the evacuation and EVERY gas station, EVERY last one of them, were closed or out of gas. 500 miles of travel and not a single gas station open for business. Luckily I had brought ten gallons of gas in cans with me. People by the hundreds were out of gas on the side of the highways.

And I always leave my car running, every time, every fill up, for at least 20 years straight. That saves me 350 plus starts a year and wear and tear on my starter.

 

[Jim K]

My gas keeps leaking out of my rear end.

 

[Trav]

1/4 = Empty. Never replaced an electric fuel pump on any bought new car I ever owned or used cars I replaced the pump on. My wife on the other had does not like going to gas stations and is always on the yellow light, every car needed a new pump and fuel filters early.